I agree with Stuart. I'd be very interested to see Heathcote at 10 with Donald at 12. Donald's passing is probably the best part of his game, and his physicality is also very good. Heathcote is a better kicker so that would take pressure off Donald. And Donald's vocal guidance would help Heathcote. I'm not saying this should be our first choice option but just while Barkley is not fit.

Personally, depending on who moves on of their own accord, I wouldn't be looking for any signing with a shirt number higher than 5.

We need another lock (preferably to be signed last summer, as 3 was always too few), a LHP who's ready NOW (as opposed to Flat.s in decline and Catt/Beech who are the future, and should be getting plenty of time off the bench) and a hooker to challenge/overtake Mears.
If we're looking for a 4th signing, it'd be to cover retirement/departure

That is preety much how I see it WT. They ere the three priorities. If a superstar in any other position asks if he could play for us for a pint of beer and a packet of crisps as his match fees then thats all well and good but I wouldn't be actively searching for anything but a lossie, hooker and lock.

Yes, I agree WT. Subject to tying down a few out of contract players, our focus should be on the front 5.

If I had to add someone to the backs it would be a player with lightening pace, but other than that I believe we have enough players of good quality (just a shame they haven't always been used to the best of their abilities).

I've got a nasty feeling that Bendy might fancy a move elsewhere given how close he was to leaving last time his contract was up, together with the fact that he wasn't moved up the England pecking order since. Hoping that's not the case, but if he does Leigh Halfpenny (if he's out of contract) would fill the void very nicely.

Chron today says we are looking to keep Williams, Heathcote, Cook, Ovens and Batty and the positions we are looking for new signings are Hooker (Dixie sounds like he is off and Webber is mentioned as a possible), Porp (Jenkins mentioned again) and second row.

SZ - I also have a hunch that Bendy may well be off - it appears that he is not going to break into the England EPS any time soon and he may feel it's the right time to move on. I haven't heard anything, I don't know anything, as I said just a hunch - although I do think if he was going to stay, he probably would have committed by now.

Wouldn't of thought Bendy would leave having just bought a house and hero status from the fans,Eastmond is here to play full back so it will be all very interesting,I would hate to lose him as I like watching him play ,fearless and trickery.

Nick Kennedy's post match interview after the Irish game contained so much praise for Bath Rugby, its players, coaches and facilities that it made me think that he had been approached and might be interested????

TCM2007Risk with Webber would be losing him AND Mears on international weekends.

I doubt it, Mears hasn't been near international level for quite a while, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was selected as part of some EPS swapping rules/ to add some experience about throwing etc during training. With Gray/Brooker developing alongside Hartley, I don't think he'll get too many more caps.

Unfortunately Brits couldn't be a MP as we can't sign a player from another AP club as our MP... However, surely he wouldn't command the same as Donald (looking at the top estimate of his salary) and thus moving Donald onto MP would allow us to get another big signing.

Regardless it'll be interesting to see who they get in it does indeed look like it will be restricted to forwards and will probably see few changes in the backs.

The MP can be anyone who hasn't played for another Prem club in the last 2 seasons.

So yes, provided that he was one of ours (or last played Prem rugby 2+ years ago).

If we signed Brits, then no, he couldn't, Donald could be nominated though; or an incoming Jenkins could be the MP; the likes of Attwood or Fearns couldn't for next season, but could thereafter.

The MP loophole I'm interested in, is the weighting of pay in different years of a contract. Could we, for example sign Dan Carter on £1M for the first year of a 2 year contract, reducing to £300K for the second, AND Richie McCaw on £300k for the first year of a 2 year contract, increasing to £1M for the second?
It would require an inordinate amount of trust from the players concerned; but might be a way to fully exploit it.

RCC, what's wrong with Barkley? We have so many options at 12 and more than one style, we have the second distributor in Barkley, Heathcote, Donald or Vesty. And then we have the direct option of Williams, Banahan or Hipkiss. Frankly I'd prefer the pivot at 12 and the bigger guy at 13 whether it be Williams or Carraro. But with the way we've been playing and with it being winter conditions, we have generally been opting for the direct 12. That's obviously also partly down to Barkley's absence.

Yes Bod, if you go on to read further, I explain the two styles of play we can adopt. You might be able to attach some blame to McGeechan if you analyse it enough, or perhaps you can make something up.

DA BathMakes sense to me, LH, Hooker, Lock plus a 4th player(maybe a pacey outside back that can cover 15, esp if the coaches are looking to move Eastmond inside sooner rather than later).
The salary cap goes up by 500k plus a marquee player. If we assume LH is going to be the marquee then that leaves:

I was thinking about what others have said about Beaver being the highest paid in the premiership & making him our MP - if he is the highest paid player in the premiership, what would he be on 600 - 750K?

If you then add that to the £500k + the money for Dixy, Belly & Beast we could potentially have about £1.5m to spend on new players & academy upgrades.... We could be in for 4/5 really top draw players

Beaver is never ever ever worth £750k pa. That'd make him one of the highest paid players in the world, and he was, then there are some seriously misguided people on charge of the club (hold yer tongue, Bod!!). I don't think there are, by the way!

Re: Olly, he's a decent centre, with the ability to kick very well both out of hand and off the tee. But he's not very quick, not a tackle buster, and defence is not a strong point. Too many injuries have taken their toll as well.

Trouble is, a bit like Flats he epitomises Bath Rugby in as much that he is a hugely popular and influential squad member.

RCC, he doesn't need to be particularly quick or be a tackle buster in the role he plays. He's a pivot and a second distributor that is there to hit the back three. Quite often he's the first distributor anyway.

i think jenkins would be offered a salary higher than donald and thus be our marquee player- general rule is that rumoured salaries are way higher than the actual reality. getting 35 or so senior players plus into an academy into a circa 4 mill cap very rarely allows for any huge salaries above 250k. the only one i really believe is nick evans at quins.

how much is the cap actually increasing next season?

echo WT's comments about how you can manipulate the cap eg pay jenkins 500k first season, 100k second season allowing us to bring in another marquee player with jenkins salary just falling into the standard cap. seems ripe for all sorts of abuse to me.

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